Rail-joint.



No. 69l,680. Patented Jan. 2|, I902.

W. J. WARD.

RAIL JOINT.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1901,)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JAS. WARD, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,680, dated January21, 1902.

. Application filed September 26, 1901- Serial No. 76,698. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM J AS.WARD, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inrail-joints,and relates more particularly to that class wherein the useof nuts and bolts is entirely dispensed with.

The present invention has for its object to construct a device of theabove-described class that will be extremely simple, strong, durable,comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and highly efficient in itsuse.

Briefly described the invention consists of a base-plate carrying anintegral fish-plate forming a chair for the rail, openings formed in thebase to receive spikes or other fastening means, and a wedge-shapedlocking fishplate operating against the inclined shoulder formed uponthe opposite side of the base.

A still further object of the inventionis to form the locking fish-platein the shape of a wedge to securely clamp the rail in position andprevent same from spreading and providing means that will allow for theexpansion and contraction of the rails, which are caused by thedifferences in temperature.

The invention finally consists in the novel combination and arrangementof parts, to be hereinafter more fullydescribed, and specificallypointed out in the claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, formingapart of this specification, and whereinlike numerals of reference indicate correspondin g parts throughoutthe'several views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of two sectionsof rails having my improved rail-joint applied thereto in position. Fig.2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is an end View. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the locking fish-plate.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 indicates the rails. V 2indicates the cross-ties. 3 indicates the base-plate, carrying anintegral fish-plate 4. On its other side said baseplate carries a raisedportion 5, forming an inclined shoulder 6, which is slightly at an angleand is adapted to receive an inclined or beveled side 7 of thewedge-shaped locking fish-plate 8.

The manner of fastening my improved railjoint is as follows: The railsare applied in position adjacent to and seated in the integralfish-plate upon the base portion. The wedgeshaped locking fish-plate isthen applied in position endwise and spikes or other suitable fasteningmeans secured in the openings formed in the base-plate, preventing alateral displacement of the wedge-shaped locking fish-plate, and anupward displacement is prevented by reason of the sides 7 engaging inthe inclined shoulder 6, the upper face of the locking fish-plateabutting against the under face of the tread of the rail.

The many advantages obtained by the use of my improved rail-joint willbe readily apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details ofconstruction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.7

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

'A rail-joint which comprises a base-plate carrying an integralfish-plate on one side thereof extending upwardly and engaging the railhead and web, a raised shoulder formed integral with the other side ofsaid base-plate,

the inner face of said shoulder being flat and upwardly inclined andextending at an angle to the first-named fish-plate, a removablefishplate having its inner face and bottom engaging the rail base, web,and under face of the rail-head, the said fish-plate having a flatdownwardly inclined outer engaging face which is angularly disposed andadapted to engage said inclined shoulder, said base-plate havingapertures formed therein, and spikes engaging the ends of said raisedshoulder and removable fish-plate and passing through said apertures,and spikes engaging the outer edges of said base-plate only,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J AS. WARD

